On the Road: Travel Safety

Travel Safety Tips

Healthy and safe traveling requires care and preparation, whether you’re
going to a far-off place, or just down the road. Visiting a new location puts
your body in contact with unfamiliar and different food, water, climate, and
air quality. It’s not uncommon to become ill when traveling.

Helpful things you can do to stay
healthy on the road include eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising without
overdoing it. If you’re in a new and exciting place, you may have the urge to see
everything you possibly can. Be careful not to overdo it or you may exhaust
yourself to the point of illness.

Always be prepared. Know the risks of
transit routes and public transportation. Don’t take chances with respect to
personal safety. Research where you’re going and pack wisely, with climate- and
culture-appropriate clothing. Bring all the medication and first-aid gear
you’ll need. You never know how far you may wind up from a pharmacy where
someone is able to understand your needs.

Vaccines

Traveling abroad requires more preparation
than local travel. Plan ahead by researching if you’ll need immunizations, and
schedule a time to get those completed at least six weeks before you
depart. Vaccines you might need include:

hepatitis A and/or B

influenza

measles-mumps-rubella

meningococcal meningitis

pneumococcal

polio

rabies

tetanus

diphtheria

pertussis

typhoid fever

yellow fever

Before you travel see your doctor or
travel medicine professional to obtain a physical examination. You must make
sure you’re in good health to travel and physically
and emotionally fit for your intended activities.

Traveler’s Diarrhea

While traveling, make sure that you eat
and drink carefully to avoid traveler’s diarrhea. Some tips include:

avoiding unpasteurized dairy products

avoiding raw seafood

avoiding food sold by street vendors

drinking beverages only from commercially sealed
bottles or cans, or that you have personally disinfected by an approved
method

avoiding ice

hot, well-cooked food is safest

If you’re travelling to places where
traveler’s diarrhea is common, you may want to carry medication like
antibiotics and loperamide to treat the condition.

Safety Concerns

If you’ll be traveling to a country
where the risk for mosquito-borne diseases is high, you should bring insect
repellents, mosquito nets, and other gear to protect yourself from being
bitten. If any of the countries you’ll be visiting have endemic malaria, you
should talk to your doctor about taking medication for prophylaxis.

Always be extra cautious while
traveling, especially to new or unfamiliar places, and even more so if you
don’t speak the local language. Avoid taking overcrowded transportation and be
careful in crowded public spaces. Don’t wander or drive around late at night,
especially when you are alone. Pay attention to travel advisories.

First Aid Kit

It’s a good idea to travel with a small
personal first aid kit. What goes in your kit depends on where you’re going,
how long you’ll be there, and what you’ll be doing. Here are some basic
guidelines of what to include.

any prescription medications in their original
or other well-marked and properly capped containers

cough and cold medicine

pain medication

non-sedating antihistamines or decongestants

sunscreen

adhesive bandages

antiseptic ointment

small scissors and tweezers

pocket knife

thermometer

medicine for diarrhea

medicine for motion sickness

If you wear glasses or contact lenses,
bring spares and your prescription with you.

This feature is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the care and information received from your health care provider. Please consult a health care professional with any health concerns you may have.